Ye Sued for Allegedly Discriminating Against Black Staff, Demanding Employee Cut Off His Locs
Ye is facing another lawsuit from a former Donda Academy employee.
According to a complaint obtained by Page Six, Benjamin Deshon Provo, who worked as a security guard at Donda Academy, is accusing the rapper of berating Black employees and firing him for refusing to cut his locs.
“Kanye and members of his management team subjected Provo and other black employees to less favorable treatment than their white counterparts,” the lawsuit, which Complex independently verifed was filed on Friday, April 26, alleges. “Specifically, Kanye frequently screamed at and berated Black employees, while in contrast, he never so much as raised his tone of voice toward white staff.”
Provo reportedly began working for Donda Academy, the rapper’s Christian school, in August 2021. The suit filed in Los Angeles claims he suffered “emotional distress” as a result of Ye’s actions, which include allegedly firing Provo for refusing to cut his hair.
“Alright y’all, it is time for you to shave your heads. I am not messing around,” Ye allegedly told his staff.
After he refused, in part due to his Muslim faith, Provo claims an associate of Ye told him, “Kanye said, ‘Tell the one with the dreads to shave his head or he is fired.’”
“Kanye and members of his management team required Provo to choose between these critical aspects of his self-identity and financial stability,” the complaint states.
The Root also reports that Provo claims white staff members were paid $5 more per hour than Black employees. Additionally, Ye is alleged to have banned books about Black history at Donda Academy, including books about icons like Malcom X and Martin Luther King Jr., an allegation also made in an April 2023 lawsuit by former Donda Academy teacher Cecilia Hailey. That case is currently set to go to court in April 2025.
“Further, Kanye regularly expressed negative beliefs associated with prominent black leaders that advocated for or sought to advance the black community,” the former security guard claims.